Festivals
blink-182 And Hozier To Headline Sea.Hear.Now 2025
Sea.Hear.Now will bring headliners blink-182 and Hozier to the beaches of Asbury Park, NJ on September 13-14, 2025. Lenny Kravitz, LCD Soundsystem, Alabama Shakes, Sublime, ZZ Top, Public Enemy, Remi Wolf, TV On The Radio, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes and many more will perform at the world-class 2-Day festival that takes place at the iconic North Beach and Bradley Park in Asbury Park, NJ. Sea.Hear.Now celebrates music, surf, and art with over 25 artists, three stages, a professional surf contest and art installations throughout the weekend. For the full lineup and by-day performances visit www.seahearnowfestival.com.
Lowest price 2-Day and 1-Day General Admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum Tickets will be available Friday, March 21 at 10am ET. A general on sale will follow at 11am ET if tickets remain. To sign up for the presale code and shop Sea.Hear.Now’s debut Core Essentials merch collection visit www.seahearnowfestival.com. Hotel + Festival Experience packages are also available for 2-Day Tickets.
GA+ allows unlimited access to the GA+ Lounge with relaxed seating and air-conditioned restrooms, a private bar with drinks for purchase, complimentary water and a dedicated GA+ Concierge to assist with festival needs. VIP Tickets provide exclusive viewing areas, unlimited access to two VIP Lounges (by the Surf and Park Stages) with relaxed seating and air-conditioned restrooms, a private bar with drinks for purchase, dedicated food for purchase, lockers and mobile charging units for rent (available first come, first served), an official festival merchandise store within VIP Lounge at the Surf Stage and more. Platinum Tickets offer all GA+ and VIP amenities, plus exclusive front-of-stage viewing at the Surf, Park, and Sand stages, unlimited access to the Platinum Lounge with relaxed seating and air-conditioned restrooms, a complimentary full-service bar in the Platinum Lounge, complimentary all-day dining within Platinum Lounge, a dedicated Platinum Concierge, complimentary lockers with mobile charging units (available first-come, first-served), a dedicated entry lane into festival, an exclusive festival gift and much more. All special viewing areas are limited capacity and available first-come, first-served. For the full list of amenities visit www.seahearnow.com/tickets.
Between the two main stages fans can watch some of the biggest east coast surf legends catch waves between the jetties. This year’s surf contest returns with the ocean calling the winner; the “North Beach Sessions” pro surfer who catches the “wave of the day” will take home the prize purse. The 2025 esteemed surf lineup includes: Landon McNamara, winner of the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, alongside east coast surfers Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason, Tommy Ihnken, Logan Kamen, Jamie DeWitt, Cole Deveney, Audrey Iglay, Paul Francisco, and Mia Gallagher.
Asbury Park visual artist Pork Chop will return with his iconic jellyfish installation and surfboard arch to serve as the festival’s visual compass. A re-imagined Stoke Henge will rise on both sides of Convention Hall and will once again be the center of all things art. A special nod this year will be music history in Asbury Park, whose iconic moments will be told visually through local artists on the sand. Additionally, surf photographer Ben Currie’s wave photography, which has put a spotlight on New Jersey surfing, will anchor the south beach installation.
Transparent Gallery will return and feature very special artwork from participating festival musicians, along with special pop-up performances. Additional updates with participating artist artworks to follow, and proceeds from the sales are given to Asbury Park local charities.
Festivals
HOT 97 Summer Jam 2026 – Recap & Photos
The Prudential Center was absolutely buzzing as it hosted the much-anticipated HOT 97 Summer Jam 2026, a classic highlight of New York’s summer music scene. This event is all about bringing together the best of the best in hip hop, rap, and R&B, creating a stage where both rising stars and seasoned veterans can shine.
This year’s lineup was stacked, featuring big names like French Montana, Max B, DaBaby, and G Herbo, promising to be “the biggest party ever to hit an arena.” To keep the party jumping, Hot 97 enlisted the help of legendary on-air personalities Funkmaster Flex, Nessa, and the Mornings with Mero team. As anticipated, the lineup drew a packed house, completely selling out the venue.
Hip Hop heads can go all the way back to the 90s to see just why something like this matters so much to the culture. Over the years, HOT 97 Summer Jam has given us unforgettable moments, from sparking epic rap feuds to reuniting legendary groups. This year was no different, packed with standout highlights. It’s not false advertising to say something iconic will happen on a Summer Jam stage – it’s expected.
One of the biggest moments of the night was Fetty Wap‘s homecoming. The crowd went wild for hits like “679” and “My Way,” though he had to cut his set short because of time limits. As the show rolled on, Yung Miami brought the energy with her summer banger “Spend Dat,” even tossing stacks of cash into the audience, causing a frenzy with everyone trying to stuff their pockets. Emerging artists were also front and center, like Zeddy Will, who energized the crowd from the upper bowl. DaBaby also brought his infectious energy to the crowd as he ran through his catalog, connecting with the fans in a unique way that really elevated the atmosphere.
On a sultry R&B vibe, Mariah the Scientist performed hits like “Is It a Crime” and “Burning Blue,” showcasing her killer stage presence and stunning vocals. The night wrapped up with French Montana, who brought out Max B and Remy Ma to help perform nostalgic Coke Boys favorites like “Unforgettable,” “Stay Schemin,” and “Ever Since You Left Me.” Despite their busy schedules with tours and new music releases, it’s great to see these artists giving back to the culture. They provided fans with a taste of their musical talents while solidifying their place in Summer Jam history. The surprise guests who were not listed on the lineup truly made this showcase unforgettable. We had the chance to see Lola Brooke, Fat Joe, and the entire cast of Zeus Network’s hit show, The Baddies. It truly was the hottest ticket of the weekend.
I just wished we could have partied a little longer. Some acts were unable to hit the stage for the final curtain, but on all accounts, the Hot 97 team delivered a show they can be proud of. HOT 97 Summer Jam 2026 left everyone hyped. Funkmaster Flex hosted the night flawlessly, keeping the energy high and the transitions smooth between acts. You can bet that the fans are already hyped for what next year has in store, eagerly locked into Hot 97 on the radio for the next Summer Jam lineup. I’ll be looking out for that announcement too; I know they are already cooking for 2027.
Check out our favorite photos of the day below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: @GALLERYBYTM | Anthony Grant Photography
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver – Kaytranada
The FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE closed out another memorable week on Sunday with the biggest match in world football and a fitting musical finale. Fans packed the site well before kickoff, creating a sea of jerseys, flags, and face paint as they gathered to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. Every big chance was met with gasps and cheers, and when Spain secured the victory, the celebrations spread across the festival grounds as supporters soaked in the final moments of a month-long tournament.
There was little time for the excitement to settle before the day’s entertainment shifted from football to live music. Montreal’s Kaytranada took over the Amphitheatre stage, giving fans one last reason to keep the energy going after the trophy presentation. Known for blending house, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music into a sound that feels uniquely his own, Kaytranada delivered exactly the kind of set the festival needed to close the weekend.
With Spain crowned world champions and Kaytranada providing the soundtrack to the celebration, the FIFA Fan Festival wrapped up another successful day at the PNE. It was a reminder that throughout the tournament, football and music proved to be the perfect combination, bringing thousands of people together to celebrate on and off the pitch.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
KAYTRANADA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer